Breaking the Girl
by Isabel5
Summary: Puck/Rachel - If Finn insists on tearing Rachel down then Puck's just going to have to build her back up again.  Spoilers up to 2.9 Special Education but then goes AU from there.  One-Shot


**Title**: Breaking the Girl  
**Fandom**: Glee  
**Pairing**: Puck/Rachel  
**Rating**: M  
**Spoilers**: Up to 2.9 Special Education but it goes AU from there.  
**Word Count: **6,252  
**Warning: **Hints of Emotional Abuse, strong language  
**Disclaimer:** Don't own. Really want.  
**Author's Note: ****This is my first Puckleberry so I'm a little nervous.** The title comes from the song Breaking the Girl by the Red Hot Chili Peppers which is also the song used later in the chapter.

**Summary:** If Finn insisted on tearing Rachel down then Puck was just going to have to build her back up again

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Puck walked into the auditorium for Glee and looked around. Mr. Shue wasn't there yet so he had some time. They were supposed to run through a few of the songs he's thinking about doing for Sectionals, try and come up with a set list.

Mike was up on stage with Sam, Artie, Brittney and Quinn going through some of the dance moves again. He knew he should probably be up there with them cause last practice Quinn practically tore his head off when he stepped on her toe for like the fifth time but the change over in the last verse is confusing and he's not the only one who was messing up, like legit he even saw Kurt spin out the wrong way a few times.

Speaking of Kurt he was over in the corner by the piano with Mercedes and Tina leading them through the scales on a warm up and as much as Puck hates that lame ass shit, he knows it really does help loosen up your vocal cords but he doesn't join them either. Instead he headed to the back row of seats and plopped down. He needed a minute to himself, a minute to calm down because seriously if he didn't get his shit under control he was going to go off on Hudson and land his ass back in juvie.

For a minute there, remembering the look on Rachel's face he thought t just might be worth it but then he thought about the look she'd have on her face if he got sent back; that Rachel Berry, _I'm so disappointed in you Noah_ look, that _you're better than that_ look and he wanted to tell her that he's not, that she's got him confused with some other badass, but he won't because for her, maybe he wants to be better than that. "Fuck." He groaned leaning his head back up against the seat and running his hand through his 'hawk.

Sometimes he wished he'd never met Rachel Berry. No strike that, sometimes he wished he'd never gotten to know Rachel Berry. He was fine when she was just the crazy Glee chick that he slushied in the halls. He never had these kinds of thoughts when she was the girl he wrote stupid shit about on the bathroom stalls. But now, somehow, she'd like wormed her way under his skin like some kind of parasite and he couldn't just let it go, even when she practically begged him to, like she had five minutes ago.

He was heading from his last class to Glee practice, passing through the quad when he'd seen her, standing just outside the auditorium. Finn had his arm slung around her shoulder, had her tucked up under his arm like a good little boyfriend should only he wasn't. A good little boyfriend that is. Besides the possessive hold he currently had on her, he was completely ignoring her. Instead all of his attention was focused on the blonde cheerleader in front of him; Caitlin Murphy.

It would have been cool if he'd just been talking to her about school or something. Puck had both Caitlin and Finn in his fourth period English class so they could have been talking about that totally bogus pop quiz Mr. Martin had sprung on them that morning, like legit the only reason that he didn't fail was because Berry had made him watch Pride and Prejudice with her when she'd been sick last summer.

"_Do we have to watch this crap?" Puck groaned, banging his head against the back of the couch. _

"_You don't have to do anything Noah." Rachel said, her usually snotty tone muffled slightly by the fact that her nose was completely clogged. "What are you even doing here?" She cut her eyes to him suspiciously as she pulled the blanket up higher, tucking it under her chin as she shivered. _

_Puck rolled his eyes at her and pushed himself off the couch, walking to the linen closet and grabbing an extra blanket, forcing himself not to dwell too much on the fact that not only did he know what a fucking linen closet was but that he knew exactly where Rachel's was. "You're sick." He shrugged, draping the extra blanket over her even though it was practically 95 degrees outside. _

"_I have a cold Noah, not some debilitating disease." She insisted before grabbing a handful of tissues and sneezing three times and Puck definitely didn't smile because hearing her try and say debilitating was not cute in any way shape or form._

_He rolled his eyes, grabbed the trash can that was on the floor beside him and passed it over to her so she could throw away her snot filled tissues. "Brittney says that a friend of hers knew about girl whose sister choked on her own mucus or something and since your dads were out of town someone had to make sure you didn't suffer the same fate. She had Cheerio's practice so you're stuck with me." _

"_While I'm certain that it's a biological impossibility for one to choke on one's own mucus, I appreciate the concern." She sneezed again and grabbed for another handful of tissues. _

"_Whatever. Only you could manage to catch a cold in the middle of summer." Puck said and she must have been delirious with the fever because she didn't bother to point out that it was actually his fault she'd caught said cold, remembering getting caught in the rain last week when he said they should walk home from Quinn's barbeque and the only reason he wasn't sick because his immune system was just as badass as he was. "But seriously Pride and Prejudice? Are you trying to torture me?"_

"_Of course not, if I wanted to do that I'd have insisted on My Fair Lady or Funny Face." Rachel offered him a small smile and despite himself he returned it. "I specifically chose this movie because I thought you would like it." _

_Puck looked back at the screen. The opening credits were still running and so far all he had seen was some swathes of lace and buttons and flower fabrics with some seriously lame music playing in the background. "That fever gone to your head there Berry?" Puck reached over and felt her forehead with the back of his hand. She was warm but not too warm so he didn't worry. _

"_No." She shook her head, dislodging his hand. "Just trust me." _

"_Fine." Puck sighed dramatically. "But like what's it about?" _

_Rachel paused, trying to compose an answer before turning to him. "There is really only one thing you need to know about Pride and Prejudice. Mr. Darcy is the man." She said. _

"_Wait, I'm supposed to believe some dude named Darcy is the man?" Puck raised his eyebrows wondering if the fever really had gotten to her. _

"_Trust me, Darcy is the man." Rachel told him. "He is this very rich handsome guy and he meets this girl Elizabeth and the first time they meet he calls her ugly and undesirable, but somehow he ends up falling in love with her anyway. Then he proposes to her by telling her that despite the fact that she's beneath him and despite the fact that her family is horrible, and despite the fact that she's not the most beautiful woman he's ever met, he wants to marry her and he expects her to be happy about it." _

"_You're kidding me?" Puck laughed._

"_Nope, and because he's that much of a pimp, she ends up marrying him in the end anyway." Rachel explained and Puck smirked a bit at her use of the word pimp._

"_This I gotta see." Puck settled into the couch and watched the movie. _

And sure maybe Rachel had forgotten to tell him that the whole movie was set in like the fifteen hundreds and that they were speaking in some seriously wacked out English but she'd been right about Darcy, he was without a doubt the man so he'd remembered the movie which was good for him cause he totally hadn't read the book.

The thing is, something was telling him that Finn and Caitlin were not talking about English class or what a douche Mr. Martin was for springing that quiz on them on a Friday. Because no way does complaining about English class require Caitlin to be that close, or for her to run her hand up and down Finn's arm. And no way does it require Finn to reach out and brush a strand of Caitlin's hair behind her ear.

Caitlin giggled at something Finn was saying and Puck saw Rachel stiffen and try and pull away from them but Finn just tightened his grip, keeping her there at his side, forcing her to stand there next to him while he outright flirted with this chick in front of her.

He'd expected to see Rachel glare and shove him away, duck out from under his arm like she used to do with him when he'd sneak up on her in the halls, toss his arm over her shoulder and whisper something lewd in her ear but she didn't, she stiffened up again and then just stood there and fucking took it.

Puck took a step toward them and it was like she could sense him or something because she looked up and caught his eye and gave him a look. He knew what the look meant just like he knew what all of Rachel's looks meant. He knew the look that meant, _Mr. Shue just gave me a solo and I'm so excited!, _he knew the look that meant, _leave me alone I'm not nearly prepared enough for this test and I need to study, _and he knew the look that meant, _if you stop kissing me I swear to god you'll regret it_. This look meant _leave it alone, please_.

Puck clenched his fists at his side but Rachel just stared at him, pleading so he nodded once and turned away, storming off toward the auditorium. He'd done some fucked up shit to Rachel before they got to know each other but he'd never done something like that to her, he used to think that Finn would never do something like that but his opinion of his former best friend had seriously deteriorated in the past few months.

The back door to the auditorium opened up and Rachel slipped inside. She looked up at the stage for a second and then over at the piano but didn't move to join either group. Instead she sat down in the last row of the seats on the isle and sort of sank down into her chair. Puck was assuming that she hadn't seen him because she made no move to say hello to him but that wasn't really unusual these days. Earlier outside was the first time in a month that she'd even acknowledged his existence.

"Why do you let him do that to you?" He asked before he could stop himself.

She stiffened the second she heard his voice and turned to him in surprise. "I…I don't know what you're talking about."

"The hell you don't." Puck snorted, getting up and moving a few seats down so he was sitting next to her. "He was practically eye fucking that Cheerio in front of you out there and you just took it."

"They were talking."

"They were having sex with their clothes on." Puck corrected her and she flinched at his vulgar words but he didn't care, he was tired of this. Tired of watching Finn do this to her, tired of watching her take it, tired of not saying anything. "Shit Berry the way he's treating you…it's not cool."

"He's not treating me in any particular way Noah and even if he were I fail to see how it's any of your business." She said stiffly. _It's my business because it's partly my fault_ he wanted to say but he didn't. "I shouldn't be talking to you. I'm not _supposed _to be talking to you." She corrected herself and Puck snorted again remembering the day that Finn had laid down that particular rule on her. She was not allowed to see Puck, she was not allowed to talk to Puck, she was not allowed to call him or text him or acknowledge him in any way shape or form unless it was expressly required for Glee.

When Rachel had told him that he'd thought she was joking cause legit, Finn trying to tell Rachel Berry, Rachel fucking Berry who she could and couldn't hang out with that was hilarious but she wasn't laughing, she wasn't even smiling. She'd merely asked him to please stop calling her and refrain from saying hello to her in the hallway before she walked away and those had been the last words she said to him until a few minutes ago.

"He's treating you like shit and you know it, it's killing you and don't try to deny it's not." He said when she opened her mouth to protest.

"Maybe I deserve it." Rachel said to him and when she looked up at him she seemed so lost he'd decided that Juvie would totally be worth it if it meant that he could make Finn feel the way that Rachel was feeling right now. He'd beat him so hard he'd make Finn convinced that he deserved it.

"God Rach, you're like a battered woman or something." Noah said remembering this one time he'd gone to work with his mom because he couldn't be trusted at home alone. Seriously you light one trashcan on fire suddenly you can't be alone. Anyway this woman had come to the ER with a broken wrist and a broken nose and her whole face was black and blue and she just kept saying that it was _her_ fault, that she shouldn't have talked back to him that he was going to be so mad at her.

Her eyes went cold at that statement. "While my relationship with Finn hasn't always been sunshine and roses he has never gotten physically violent with me and no matter how angry he might get, I refuse to believe that he ever would."

"I know that, but there are more ways to abuse someone than just physically." Puck said and Rachel had nothing to say at that so he kept going. "You're not yourself lately. Seriously like yesterday when Mercedes totally butchered that high note you didn't even bat an eye and last week when Mr. Shue gave Tina the solo for Sectionals you just…sat there, like you didn't even care."

Rachel just stared at him and that's when Puck came to a startling realization. His eyes widened and he stared at her in awe. "You actually don't care do you?" He asked her.

"Tina has the perfect voice for that song." Rachel mumbled numbly.

"The fuck Rachel, he's seriously done a number on you." Puck shook his head incredulous. "He's got you convinced that you don't deserve anything."

"Because I cheated on him." Rachel said as if Puck needed reminding, he'd been there, he remembered. "Because we kissed. You and I. So he's perfectly well within his rights to demand that I have nothing more to do with you and to be cautious about our relationship and—"

"You made a mistake." Puck interrupted her. "And that's all it was Rachel, a mistake. In the grand scheme of things a tiny one at that. You didn't run over his dog, you didn't get pregnant by someone else. We kissed that's it. And you apologized and you swore that it wouldn't happen again—"

"And he forgave me." Rachel said, pleading with Puck to understand. "Don't you get it, he forgave me so I have to…I can't mess up again."

"But he didn't." Puck shook his head exasperated with her. "He didn't forgive you. He may have said he forgave you but he didn't and now you're…like this." He looked her up and down. "And I don't even know who this is anymore."

"I'm Rachel Berry." She said, her voice so tiny, almost like she was trying to convince herself.

"No you're not." Puck said. "This girl, this girl who takes shit and doesn't dish it right back out, this girl who stays quiet and doesn't fight for the things that she wants. This is not Rachel Berry. I don't know where Rachel Berry went but you know what?" Puck laughed. "I miss her." He got up and walked away, stopped for a second and then turned back around, making sure that everyone else in the auditorium was too occupied with their own shit to bother getting in his business and he leaned down and he kissed her.

He reached a hand out, grasping the back of her neck and pulling her closer, sliding his hand up into her hair as he teased her bottom lip with his tongue. He pulled away before he went any further and closed his eyes, trying to compose himself. "And just for the record, kissing me is not a mistake, kissing me is never a mistake. The way it happened was the mistake but—" He opened his eyes and she was staring at him with a mixture of fear and regret and longing in her eyes. "Fuck." He pushed himself away from her and walked to the front of the auditorium, climbing the steps to the stage two at a time before heading over to Mike so he could try and lock down that stupid change over so Quinn would get off his nut sack.

He only looked up once and he saw her sitting there in the same place he'd left her with practically the same stunned expression on her face and he smiled because she'd kissed him back. And maybe the girl was just starved for some sort of attention. Maybe she was desperate for just a little bit of affection, affection that wasn't tainted with whatever the fuck Finn was doing but she kissed him back and he could hold onto that.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

They ran through the songs twice and Puck congratulated himself for only stepping on Quinn's toes once though she didn't seem that impressed by it, limping out of the auditorium like a pussy to go see the nurse. Seriously she pushed something the size of a watermelon out of something the size of a Cheerio (and yeah he laughed at his own clever joke when he told her that) with no drugs and she was complaining about a broken toe?

They went back to the practice room and Mr. Shue started talking about their assignment for the next week and normally he just tuned the guy out and thought about other much more enjoyable things but something about the dude's tone today had Puck intrigued so he actually listened. He leaned forward in his seat a bit when he said something about music helping you say things that you otherwise might not have been able to say on your own and Puck seriously started to listen because legit dude was staring straight at Rachel. Puck smirked then cause he wasn't the only one who noticed.

"So your assignment for next week. I want you guys to find a song that says something you've always wanted to say to someone else but never had the courage." Mr. Shue told them and then looked at Rachel again. He turned away quickly but Puck managed to catch his eye offer him a small nod and Mr. Shue smiled at him. At least he had one alley in this place.

Puck grabbed his bag and started getting his stuff together and saw Rachel putting her things away but Puck watched as she grabbed her music books and stuffed them in her bag, leaving behind a small balled up piece of paper on the edge of her desk. She stood up when Finn did and he saw her hesitate a second before reaching down and pushing the paper to the floor before following Finn out of the choir room.

Puck paused cause no way that wasn't on purpose. The girl had stormed up to him once when he'd been throwing spit balls at some freshmen in the cafeteria and not because of the spit balls but because he was littering so no way she just drops paper on the floor. He waited until everyone else left the room and then walked over to her seat, reaching down and picked up the paper.

He felt like an idiot. He was sure that when he opened it up it would have nonsense scribbled on it, a grocery list or something but it just had four words and they were obviously meant for him. _She misses you too_

Maybe he had two allies here.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Puck waited all weekend, wondering if he'd actually gotten through to her, wondering if that note meant that she was finally going to stand up for herself, finally tell Finn where to shove it. On Saturday he saw Finn at Santana's party, alone, and felt a fluttering of hope in his chest. He pulled out his phone, a giddy anticipation and he typed out a text. _So you told Hudson to shove it I see. Proud of you._

A minute later he got a text back and he frowned. _I most certainly did nothing of the sort, whatever would make you think that?_

Puck rolled his eyes. _He's here at San's party and you're not with him. I don't know, seemed like a logical assumption or whatever._

_He was under the assumption that you would be attending said party, rightfully so I might add, and thought that it was better if I not be in a situation that would put me in close proximity to you. After the events that transpired in the auditorium on Friday I'm inclined to agree with him. _

Puck felt a tightness building in his chest. _So he comes to the party without you. Great boyfriend you've got there, glad he deigned to give you a second chance. _He was going to leave it at that but he just couldn't. _And you know what, if this is how you're going to be from now on, then I'm done ok so you don't have to worry about what happened on Friday happening again. _

He hit send and shoved his phone in his pocket, fully intending for that to be that. He made his way to the kitchen and proceeded to do like five Jell-O shots with Santana when his phone beeped in his pocket. He wasn't going to look at it, he really wasn't so he doesn't know why five minutes and two more Jell-O shots later he was pulling out his phone staring at the screen.

"Fuck Rachel." He mumbled under his breath. It was just two words.

_Noah, please_

He had no idea what she was asking, please drop it, please don't, please leave me alone, please save me? But he knew with those two words that he'd lied, he was so far from being done.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

It was Wednesday and he was sitting in his last class, staring at the clock willing for it to move faster. He's not quite sure he'd ever been this anxious to get to Glee before but Rachel was performing her song today and he needed to hear her, needed to see. The bell rang and he was out of his seat before anyone else which wasn't unusual. But he was the first one in the practice room which was. He sat nervously in the second row, his leg shaking so hard it was vibrating all the chairs on the riser. Mercedes had already shot him like three dirty looks but then Quinn sat down next to him and slammed her hand down on his knee. "She will cut you, that's not just a threat you know." She warned him and Puck snorted cause he wasn't scared of her, much.

Tina got up first and sang some love song to Mike which was lame because she tells him that shit all the time so it really wasn't in keeping with the assignment but he didn't care because when she sat down Rachel stood up and cleared her throat and he leaned forward in his seat.

"As you all know, I very recently discovered the identity of my birth mother." Rachel said a bit uneasily and Puck barely restrained the urge to groan. "It didn't go very well so this song is about what I wish I could say to her now."

She stared singing and Puck couldn't believe it, she'd chickened out. Mr. Shue had given her the perfect opportunity and she'd ignored it. The thing was, she wasn't even that good. The song was perfect for her, it was right in her range, (and yeah so he knew what her range was, she only drilled it into everybody all the time). It took Puck a minute to realize that she was just singing it. There was no emotion behind the lyrics, no heart in her vocals. Her execution was technically perfect, with Rachel it always was. Six months ago, even on her worst day she could have belted it out of the park but today it was…mediocre at best and the Rachel Berry he knew and…well the Rachel Berry he knew didn't do mediocre.

"She didn't do it." Quinn said shaking her head. "I thought for sure she'd…" Puck looked over at Quinn confused but Quinn was looking at Rachel with what could only be described as pity and that had to have been the last straw.

Mercedes sang some song with Kurt about prejudice but he wasn't really listening, he was staring a hole into the back of Rachel's head and he knew that she knew he was looking at her but she refused to turn around. When she left the choir room he noticed her music book sitting under her chair and was about to pick it up when she saw her put a hand on Finn's arm and then turn back around and run into the room.

She knelt down to grab it and put it in her bag. "I couldn't." she said suddenly and Puck looked around confused. She wasn't looking up, she wasn't looking at him but he just knew she was talking to him. "I just not strong enough." She admitted zipping the bag and standing up, looking him in the eye for the first time that day. "Not anymore." She admitted before turning around and catching back up with Finn.

Puck watched her go as he formulated a plan. He'd tried to talk to her, he'd tried to stay out of it but neither of things had worked so he'd have to do the next best thing, take care of it himself. Almost as if she could tell what he was thinking Quinn walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Puck…don't do anything stupid."

Puck just smiled at her and winked. "But stupid's what I do best." He said before walking out of the room.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

It wasn't his turn to sing until Friday and he certainly didn't have butterflies in his stomach for the rest of the week because that shit's week and Puckerman doesn't do butterflies. Around lunch time on Friday he was starting to have second thoughts until Finn snapped at Rachel in the cafeteria about something stupid, in front of everybody and she flinched and ducked her head and just took it and all doubt flew out of the window. Five minutes later Quinn strolled by his table and said. "I take it back, crush him." Before sauntering away without a second glance and Puck though, _my pleasure._

When Mr. Shue called him up first he was relieved that he wouldn't have to sit through the whole practice waiting and he grabbed his guitar and stood in front of the group. "So you guys know me. I pretty much say what I mean when I mean it, someone told me one my mouth didn't have a filter or whatever." He smirked because it had been Rachel who'd told him that. "So I decided that I would take this assignment and use it for someone else, someone who's too scared to say what needs to be said on her own."

He looked at Rachel just long enough so that there was no doubt in anyone's mind who he was talking about then turned to the band and nodded before strumming out the first chord on his guitar.

_I am a man_

_Cut from the know  
Rarely do friends  
Come and then go  
She was a girl  
Soft but estranged  
We were the two  
Our lives rearranged_

_Feeling so good that day  
A feeling of love that day_

He looked up at Rachel and saw the tears welling up in her eyes, then cut his eyes to Finn quickly who was looking between Puck and Rachel with a strained expression on his face. He threw himself into the song, hitting the chords of the chorus with a little bit more force than might have been necessary but not really carrying at the moment because Rachel might have been crying but she was also sitting up just a tiny bit straighter.

_Twisting and turning  
Your feelings are burning  
You're breaking the girl  
She meant you no harm_

Puck looked over at Finn who was glaring at him now and held his gaze, making sure to let the other man know exactly who he was singing about.

_Think you're so clever  
But now you must sever  
You're breaking the girl  
He loves no one else_

Finn looked ready to punch Puck but it didn't matter because when opened his mouth for the start of the second verse he didn't get a chance because Rachel jumped out of her seat and took it over for him. _  
_  
_Raised by my dad  
Girl of the day  
He was my man  
That was the way_

Puck smiled at her and took over the second part, and suddenly it was just the two of them, the way it always was when they sang together.

_She was the girl  
Left alone  
Feeling the need  
To make me her home  
I don't know what when or why  
The twilight of love had arrived_

She joined him this time on the chorus, pouring everything she had into the lyrics. She took the months of pain and regret and anger and abuse and spit it back out at Finn and he could feel with every word she sang, the old Rachel coming back to him.

_Twisting and turning  
Your feelings are burning  
You're breaking the girl  
She meant you no harm  
Think you're so clever  
But now you must sever  
You're breaking the girl  
He loves no one else._

As the last last few notes of the song died out the room went strangely quiet before Quinn started clapping for them. Kurt and Mercedes joined in next and Santana even let out a sharp whistle. Puck turned to Rachel and her face was flush and she was breathing heavy but she was smiling from the exertion and he couldn't help but smile back.

The moment was ruined when Finn erupted from his seat and stormed out of the choir room. Everyone was quiet again and Puck made a move to go after him but Rachel put a hand on his arm. "I've got this."

"Rach…" Puck hesitated because Finn looked mad, like even more mad then when he found out that the baby wasn't his.

"I need to do this Noah." She assured him and walked out of the room.

"Well that was…" Mr. Shue looked around the room but couldn't figure out exactly what to say so he just didn't say anything. "Why don't we break up into groups and do some brainstorming for Sectionals." He said and everyone paired off and started talking at a low murmur.

Puck turned around and started to put his guitar away when Mr. Shue called out his name. "Puck." He said softly then shook his head and smiled, clapping him on the back before walking away.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Mike called him over to their group and Puck was going to go honestly but he could see Rachel and Finn right outside the practice room and he just couldn't help it. He walked over to the book cases, pretending to look through the music books as he eased the door open a little more.

"Because I can't do this with you anymore." Rachel said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Finn asked her angrily.

"I can't keep putting myself out there only to have you treat me like the scum on the bottom of your shoe." She said to him. "I mean I can't do this…" She motioned to him and then herself. "Us, anymore."

"_You_ can't do this?" Finn asked. "You begged me for a second chance."

"Yes." Rachel said. "One that I have yet to actually receive."

"What do you mean?" He asked confused.

"I mean you're still punishing me." She said deflating.

"I'm not punishing you." Finn brushed her off.

"Yes you are." She grabbed his arm. "You don't talk to me anymore, we barely do anything together, it's obvious that you can't stand to touch me. I have bent over backwards to accommodate you here. I haven't seen or spoken to Noah in months as per your request and he was my friend. Before everything else that happened he was one of the only people that could stand to be around me for long periods of time and without him, I had no one else except for you. And I thought that I could do that I thought that it would be ok because I'd have you but I don't, not really. I don't go to your games because Noah will be there, I can't go out to parties because Noah might show up, the only reason you let me come to Glee is because you need me to win Sectionals. I've basically shut myself off from everything for you and you can't even kiss me."

"Because every time I look at you I see him. I see you kissing him." Finn told her.

"It was a mistake." Rachel said. "It was a stupid mistake and I apologized for it and I've done everything you've asked me to do but it's still not enough. I need to know if you can get past that."

"No." Finn said finally.

"Then why did you take me back?" Rachel asked him genuinely confused.

"I don't know." Finn answered her. "So what we just break up? That's it? It's over?"

Rachel snorted. "It's been over Finn." She said and he opened his mouth to protest. "As far as everyone else is concerned it's been over for months. You've been going out to parties and flirting with everyone that crosses your path and I've been hiding away in my room like…and I don't deserve that." Rachel took a deep breath. "I made a mistake and I hurt you but I deserve better than this."

"You're right." Finn said surprising both Puck and Rachel. "I've been so angry with you and I wanted to hurt you like you hurt me but you do deserve better that that. The thing is, right now, that's all I can give you." He shook his head and walked away from her.

Puck waited a minute or two before stepping out of the room. He laid a soft hand on Rachel's elbow to catch her attention. "Hey, are you ok?"

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, turning to him with a smile on her face. "You know what? I think I am. Thank you Noah. I very much appreciate what you did for me in there."

"It was no big deal." He shrugged.

"Yes it was." Rachel said forcefully. "It was a very big deal." She leaned up on her tip toes and placed a soft kiss on his lips. "And for the record. I never thought kissing you was a mistake." She whispered before bouncing away and back into the choir room. "Mr. Shue, I think we need to have a serious discussion about your choice of soloists for Sections. Tina, while your voice is perfectly suited for the current song we have chosen, I'm not sure the song is right for New Directions…" Rachel babbled on.

Puck slipped into the room behind her and Quinn caught his eye, a knowing smirk on her lips and he realized he was grinning like an idiot. He scowled back at her and she just chuckled and shook her head at him as he went in and took a seat. "Remind me again why I wanted the old Rachel back?" Mercedes whispered to Kurt who snorted as Rachel and Mr. Shue went back and forth just like old times.

She wasn't suddenly better he knew that, it would take a while for the old Rachel to come back but she was getting there. And when she was ready, he sure as shit was gonna be there, cause he's put way too much time and energy into this girl to let her slip away from him again.


End file.
